Dylan's parents, Abram Zimmerman and Beatrice "Beatty" Stone, were part of the area's small but close-knit Jewish community. Robert Zimmerman lived in Duluth until age six, when his father had polio and the family returned to his mother's home town, Hibbing, where Zimmerman spent the rest of his childhood. Robert Zimmerman spent his early years listening to the radio—first to blues and country stations from Shreveport, Louisiana, and, as a teen, to rock and roll.[8]Zimmerman formed several bands while attending Hibbing High School. In the Golden Chords, he performed covers of songs by Little Richard[9] and Elvis Presley.[10] Their performance of Danny & the Juniors' "Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay" at their high school talent show was so loud that the principal cut the microphone.[11] In 1959, his high school yearbook carried the caption: "Robert Zimmerman: to join 'Little Richard'."[9][12] The same year, as Elston Gunnn [sic], he performed two dates with Bobby Vee, playing piano and clapping.[13][14][15]

The thing about rock'n'roll is that for me anyway it wasn't enough ... There were great catch-phrases and driving pulse rhythms ... but the songs weren't serious or didn't reflect life in a realistic way. I knew that when I got into folk music, it was more of a serious type of thing. The songs are filled with more despair, more sadness, more triumph, more faith in the supernatural, much deeper feelings.[16]

He began to perform at the Ten O'Clock Scholar, a coffeehouse a few blocks from campus, and became involved in the Dinkytownfolk music circuit.[17][18]

During his Dinkytown days, Zimmerman began introducing himself as "Bob Dylan".[19][a 1] In his memoir, Dylan acknowledged that he had been influenced by the poetry of Dylan Thomas.[20] Explaining his change of name in a 2004 interview, Dylan remarked: "You're born, you know, the wrong names, wrong parents. I mean, that happens. You call yourself what you want to call yourself. This is the land of the free